Sanitary Fitting with Moderator for Reducing Turbulence in the Region of the Open Water Outlet

ABSTRACT

A description is given of a sanitary fitting with a water-outlet housing, which has a water outlet, and with a water-feed line, a water-outlet moderator being arranged between the water-feedline and the water outlet. The water-outlet moderator has a moderator housing with a moderator chamber, in which is arranged a hollow body which has at least one water-entry opening, which is connected to the water-feedline, and at least one water-exit opening, the at least one water-exit opening connecting the interior of the hollow body to the moderator chamber, and the moderator chamber having at least one outlet opening to the water outlet.

The invention relates to a sanitary fitting with a water outlet housing, which has a water outlet, and with a water feed line, a water outlet moderator being arranged between the water feed line and the water outlet.

In known sanitary fittings with, in particular open, water outlets (canyons), a large water flow often leads to turbulence and thus to exiting water with an unpleasant jet form. It is therefore known to provide water outlet moderators, by means of which the water flow is moderated, i.e. calmed. To this end, the water outlet moderator in particular reduces the flow speed and supplies the water uniformly to the water outlet, so that a virtually laminar water flow prevails in the water outlet.

The object of the present invention is to design a sanitary fitting of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that an effective optimisation of the jet form is achieved and in particular turbulence in the region of the water outlet is reduced.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the water outlet moderator has a moderator housing with a moderator space, in which is arranged a hollow body which has at least one water entry opening, which is connected to the water feed line, and at least one water exit opening, the at least one water exit opening connecting the inner space of the hollow body to the moderator space, and in that the moderator space has at least one outlet opening to the water outlet.

According to the invention, the water flow is thus slowed down firstly in the hollow body. The calmed water flows through the water exit opening into the moderator space, where it is uniformly distributed. The water then flows through the outlet opening in a laminar manner into the water outlet.

Expediently, the water exit opening can be arranged in a side of the hollow body which does not face the outlet opening and in particular in the side diametrically opposite the outlet opening. This has the advantage that water cannot flow by the shortest path directly from the water exit openings of the hollow body to the outlet opening and to the water outlet. Instead, the moderator space must firstly fill up before water can flow into the outlet opening on the opposite side of the hollow body. This leads to a marked water calming.

In order to reduce the flow speed of the water even further, the hollow body can be surrounded by a screen, in particular an annular screen.

The water exit opening can be realised in a technically simple manner by a slit or a hole. A large number of vertical slits or holes can be provided in the lateral surface of the hollow body. Horizontally or obliquely running, also curved, slits can also be provided. The main exit direction for the outlet opening can be influenced by varying the number and/or the position and/or the size of the water exit openings.

It can be arranged in a vertical region of the hollow body, so that the water can flow uniformly at the vertical region of the hollow body to the bottom of the moderator space.

The hollow body can be connected at least to a water connecting piece, to which the water feed line, which in particular has a small cross-section, can be connected. A quick water supply, for example from a mixing unit, to the water outlet is achieved by the small cross-section of the water feed line.

To enable the water in the water outlet to flow off uniformly, and prevent the formation of turbulence in particular, the water outlet moderator can have an in particular wedge-shaped outlet bottom body in the water outlet.

The water outlet housing can have a closable opening for introducing and removing the water outlet moderator, through which the water outlet moderator can be removed, for example for cleaning purposes.

In an embodiment which is particularly easy to maintain, the moderator housing can have an opening, in particular a cylindrical opening, in its upper end side, through which opening the hollow body and, where appropriate, the screen can be introduced and removed.

Alternatively, the moderator housing can have an opening in its end side facing the water outlet, through which opening the hollow body and, where appropriate, the screen can be introduced and removed.

In order to enable a symmetrical water flow, the moderator space can be an annular space.

The hollow body can be realised in a technically simple manner as a hollow cylinder.

A slender construction is made possible if the water entry opening runs axially with respect to an axis of the hollow body.

Advantageously, the outlet opening is an exit channel, so that a flow as far as possible free from turbulence can be realised.

Some exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 schematically shows a lateral section of a first exemplary embodiment of a sanitary fitting with a water outlet moderator in which a hollow cylinder is inserted from above into the moderator housing;

FIG. 2 schematically shows the components of the water outlet moderator according to FIG. 1 in an exploded view;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a lateral section of a second exemplary embodiment of a sanitary fitting with a water outlet moderator in which a hollow cylinder is inserted from the front into the moderator housing;

FIG. 4 schematically shows the components of the water outlet moderator according to FIG. 3 in an exploded view.

FIG. 1 illustrates, partly in section, a sanitary fitting provided as a whole with the reference symbol 1.

The sanitary fitting 1 comprises a water outlet housing 2 with a water outlet 3, leading into which housing, from below in FIG. 1, is a water feed line 4 from a mixing unit (not illustrated). The water outlet 3 has a substantially U-shaped profile, so that it is open upwards and thus forms a kind of gutter.

Between the water feed line 4 and the water outlet 3, a water outlet moderator 5 is arranged in the water outlet housing 2. The components of the water outlet moderator 5 are illustrated in FIG. 2 in perspective in an exploded view.

The water outlet moderator 5 comprises a cuboid-shaped moderator housing 6, preferably made of transparent plastic, which is adjoined, on the right in FIGS. 1 and 2, by an outlet bottom body 7 extending over the entire bottom surface of the water outlet 3.

The outlet bottom body 7 is a four-sided truncated pyramid, whose base is part of the surface of the right end side of the moderator housing 6. Its lower side, its front side and its rear side are perpendicular to its base. Its upper side runs slightly downwards in FIG. 1, to that a slight declivity towards the right end side of the water outlet 3 results. In lateral section, the outlet bottom body 7 thus has a wedge shape.

The moderator housing 6 is hollow in its interior. The inner space of the moderator housing 6 is subdivided, approximately at half its height in FIG. 1, by a plane partition wall 8 which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1, into an annular space 9 (at the top in FIG. 1) and a connecting space 10 (at the bottom in FIG. 1). Light-emitting elements (not illustrated), for example light-emitting diodes, can be accommodated in the connecting space 10, these elements illuminating in particular the adjacent end face of the outlet bottom body 7.

The moderator housing 6 is open, in FIG. 1, in the regions of the lower side of the connecting space 10 and the right side of the annular space 9.

Approximately centrally, the partition wall 8 has a passing-through circular water entry opening 11 which is assigned, at the lower side of the partition wall 8, an approximately hollow-cylinder-shaped connecting piece 12 with a circular cross-section for the water feed line 4. The inner contours of the water entry opening 11 and of the connecting piece 12 merge into one another. The cross-section of the connecting piece 12 tapers, in a region somewhat below the partition wall 8, downwards to an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the water feed line 4.

The moderator housing 6 has, in its upper end side, a cylindrical opening 13 with a circular cross-section, the axis of which is coaxial with the axis of the water entry opening 11 in the partition wall 8. The upper edge of the cylindrical opening 13 merges into a depression 14 with a circular cross-section in the outer surface of the upper end side of the moderator housing 6.

Arranged in the cylindrical opening 13 is a hollow-cylinder-shaped annular screen 15, the outer cross-section of which corresponds to the inner cross-section of the cylindrical opening 13. The height of the annular screen 15 corresponds to the distance between the bottom of the depression 14 and the upper surface of the partition wall 8, so that the annular screen 15 rests on the partition wall 8.

Arranged coaxially in the annular screen 15 is a hollow cylinder 16 with a circular base which is inserted into the water entry opening 11 of the partition wall 8.

The outside diameter of the hollow cylinder 16 corresponds to the inside diameter of the water entry opening 11 in the partition wall 8 or the inside diameter of the connecting piece 12 in its upper, wide region. The hollow cylinder 16 is of such a height that it extends from the bottom of the depression 14 as far as the beginning of the taper of the connecting piece 12.

The upper end side of the hollow cylinder 16 is closed by an approximately circular-disc-shaped cylindrical cap 17. The outside diameter of the cylindrical cap 17 corresponds approximately to the outside diameter of the depression 14. The thickness of the cylindrical cap 17 corresponds to the height of the depression 14, so that the upper surface of the cylindrical cap 17 terminates at the upper end side of the moderator housing 6.

The cylindrical cap 17 is sealed off with respect to the depression 14 by an O-ring 18 arranged in an encircling annular groove 19 in the bottom surface of the depression 14.

The lateral surface of the hollow cylinder 16 has, in its left side in FIG. 1, i.e. its side facing away from the water outlet 3, a plurality of axially running, through-slits 19, of which only two are shown in FIG. 1. The inner space of the hollow cylinder 16 is connected to the annular space 9 via the slits 19.

Adjoining the annular space 9 on the right in FIG. 1 is an exit channel 20 with a rectangular cross-section, which passes through the right wall of the moderator housing 19 and opens into the water outlet 3.

The right region of the partition wall 8 forms the bottom of the exit channel 20, the contour of which merges, in FIG. 1, into the inner contour of the outlet bottom body 7.

The water outlet housing 2 has, towards the water outlet 3, a rectangular opening 24, through which the outlet bottom body 7 passes in the lower region of said opening.

The lower inner surface of the opening 24 is formed by the bottom surface of the water outlet 3. The width of the opening 24 perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1 corresponds to the width of the outlet bottom body 7. The contour of the upper inner surface of the opening 24 merges into the contour of the upper inner surface of the exit channel 20 of the water outlet moderator 5.

The outer surface of the moderator housing 6 on the right in FIG. 1 borders on the right inner surface of the water outlet housing 2. The region therebetween is sealed off by an annular seal 21 arranged in a groove with a rectangular course encircling the exit channel 20 and the outlet bottom body 7.

The lower side of the outlet bottom body 7 lies on the upper side of the bottom of the water outlet 3.

At the lower side of its right end, the outlet bottom body 7 has a hook-like strip 22 which is hooked into a complementary hook-in groove 23 in the right end side of the bottom of the water outlet 3.

A rear wall 24, which terminates the water outlet housing 2 on the left in FIG. 1, is detachable, so that the water outlet moderator 5 can be introduced into the water outlet housing 2 from the left, the hook-like strip 22 being hooked into the hook-in groove 23 in order to fix the water outlet moderator 5.

In order to mount the water outlet moderator 5, firstly the annular screen 15 is inserted, from above in FIG. 2, through the cylindrical opening 13 into the annular space 9 in such a way that it rests with its lower side on the partition wall 8. Thereupon, the O-ring 18 is introduced into the annular groove 19. Subsequently, the hollow cylinder 16 is inserted through the cylindrical opening 13 into the water entry opening 11 in such a way that its slits 19 are arranged, on the left in FIG. 1, on the side facing away from the exit channel 20. After that, the water outlet moderator 5 is introduced into the water outlet housing 2 from the side with the rear wall 24 detached, the hook-like strip 22 being hooked into the hook-in groove 23. Subsequently, the water feed line 4 is pushed from below onto the connecting piece 12. Finally, the rear wall 24 is attached.

When the water supply is started, water flows firstly through the water feed line 4 into the inner space of the hollow cylinder 16, where the water flow is calmed. From there, it flows through the slits 19 into the inner space of the annular screen 15, where it is uniformly distributed. The water subsequently flows through the holes of the annular screen 15 into the annular space 9 and from there through the exit channel 20 in a laminar manner into the water outlet 3. Owing to the fact that the partition wall 8 merges integrally into the outlet bottom body 7 and no steps are present in the surface, turbulence is avoided. Moreover, the downward-sloping surface of the outlet bottom body 7 in the flow direction prevents a return of the water and in addition causes the water in the water outlet 3 to be somewhat accelerated towards the right.

A second exemplary embodiment of a sanitary fitting 101 with a water outlet moderator 105 is illustrated in section in FIG. 3. The components of the water outlet moderator 105 are illustrated in perspective in an exploded view in FIG. 4. Those elements of the second exemplary embodiment which are similar to those of the first exemplary embodiment described in FIGS. 1, 2 are provided with the same reference symbols plus 100, so that, in respect of their description, reference will be made to the statements relating to the first exemplary embodiment.

The second exemplary embodiment differs from the first exemplary embodiment essentially in that no upper cylindrical opening for the hollow cylinder 116 and the annular screen 115 is provided in the moderator housing 106. Instead, the hollow cylinder 116 and the annular screen 115 are introduced, from the right in FIG. 3, through an exit channel 120 into a moderator housing 106. The hollow cylinder 116 terminates at the top with a cylindrical cap 117 which is in the shape of a cuboid whose end side on the left in FIG. 4 has the shape of a halved circular cylinder. The hollow cylinder 116 is arranged eccentrically in the region of the left end side of the cylindrical cap 117.

In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, the hollow cylinder 116 is not inserted into the water entry opening 11 of the partition wall 8, but is placed on a partition wall 108. The inner contour of said cylinder merges into the inner contour of the lateral surface of an opening 111 in the left part of the partition wall 108, adjoining which is a connecting piece 112 for a water feed line 104. The side of the annular screen 115 facing away from the outlet 103 lies against the adjacent inner surface of the annular space 109, so that the hollow cylinder 116 and the annular screen 115 surrounding it are arranged as a whole eccentrically in the annular space 109. This leads to a marked calming of the water flow. In addition, the exit channel 120 towards the water outlet 103 is thus larger than in the first exemplary embodiment, which likewise contributes to the calming of the water flow.

Additionally, in contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, in the second exemplary embodiment the bottom of the water outlet 103 rises towards the right in FIG. 3. The lower surface of the outlet bottom body 107 likewise rises towards the right, in order to compensate for the rise of the bottom of the water outlet 103, so that overall the upper surface of the outlet bottom body 107 over which water flows is approximately horizontal.

In the second exemplary embodiment, additionally, no hook-shaped strip is provided in the outlet bottom body 107 and no hook-in groove is provided on the water outlet 103.

Furthermore, instead of the removable rear wall 24 as in the first exemplary embodiment, the outlet housing 102 in the second exemplary embodiment has a detachable top cover 124.

In order to mount the water outlet moderator 105, firstly the hollow cylinder 116 is inserted, from above in FIG. 4, into the annular screen 115. Thereupon, the hollow cylinder 116 together with the annular screen 115 is pushed, from the right in FIG. 4, into the annular space 109, the cylindrical cap 117 being guided by two lateral recesses 124 in the upper region of the exit channel 120. Subsequently, the water outlet moderator 105 is introduced, from above in FIG. 3, into the open water outlet housing 102, the water feed line 104 being pushed onto the connecting piece 112. Finally, the cover 124 is attached and the water outlet housing 112 is thus closed.

Instead of or in addition to the vertical slits 19; 119, other water exit openings, for example holes, can also be provided in the lateral surface of the hollow cylinder 16; 116. Horizontally or obliquely running, also curved, slits can also be provided. The openings, in particular the slits, can also be distributed in a different way along the lateral surface of the hollow cylinder 16; 116. The main exit direction for the exit channel 20; 120 can be influenced by varying the number and/or the position and/or the size of the water exit openings.

Instead of the water outlet 3; 103 with a U-shaped profile, a closed water outlet can also be used. 

1. A sanitary fitting with a water outlet housing, which has a water outlet, and with a water feed line, a water outlet moderator being arranged between the water feed line and the water outlet, wherein: the water outlet moderator has a moderator housing with a moderator space in which is arranged a hollow body which has at least one water entry opening, which is connected to the water feed line, and at least one water exit opening, the at least one water exit opening connecting the inner space of the hollow body to the moderator space, and in that the moderator space has at least one outlet opening to the water outlet.
 2. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water exit opening is arranged in a side of the hollow body which does not face the outlet opening.
 3. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the hollow body is surrounded by a screen.
 4. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water exit opening is a slit or a hole.
 5. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water exit opening is arranged in a vertical region of the hollow body.
 6. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the hollow body is connected to at least one water connecting piece.
 7. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water outlet moderator has a wedge-shaped outlet bottom body in the water outlet.
 8. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water outlet housing has a closable opening for introducing the water outlet moderator.
 9. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the moderator housing has an opening, in its upper end side, through which opening the hollow body and, the screen can be are capable of being introduced.
 10. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the moderator housing has an opening in its end side facing the water outlet, through which opening the hollow body and, the screen are capable of being introduced.
 11. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the moderator space is an annular space.
 12. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the hollow body is a hollow cylinder.
 13. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the water entry opening (11; 111) runs axially with respect to an axis of the hollow body (16; 116).
 14. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the outlet opening is an exit channel.
 15. The sanitary fitting of claim 2, wherein the side of the hollow body which does not face the outlet opening is isometrically opposite the outlet opening.
 16. The sanitary fitting of claim 3, wherein the screen is an annular screen.
 17. The sanitary fitting of claim 2, wherein the hollow body is surrounded by a screen.
 18. The sanitary fitting of claim 16, wherein the screen is an annular screen.
 19. The sanitary fitting of claim 2, wherein the water exit opening is a slit or a hole.
 20. The sanitary fitting of claim 2, wherein the water exit opening is arranged in a vertical region of the hollow body. 